Blossoming Flowers
by RowanRavenclaw
Summary: Konoha has a yearly tradition. Every year, a Jounin chooses three students to take from the Academy's first year class and privately tutor in the ways of the ninja. Instead of being Academy students, these three get practical experience being trained by an elite. One critical year, Anko, looking to improve her reputation in the village at large, chooses Ino, Sakura, and Hinata.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Notes:_ This first chapter starts before all of it. Before Sasuke and Naruto's rivalry, Shikamaru and Chouji's friendship, Sakura and Ino's friendship, before anyone had a crush on anyone… before everything.

* * *

1.

The long line of eight-year-olds stood in the Academy courtyard, shifting, restless, muttering to each other. Dappled sunlight streamed through the trees and onto the flat expanse of green grass, the series of round white buildings with red roofs that made the Academy towering stately behind them.

Umino Iruka, a kind young man with a brown ponytail and a wide scar across his nose, stood in front of his new assembly of collected students, holding a clipboard. "It is a Konoha tradition," he said loudly in the silence, "that each year one Jounin or Tokubetsu Jounin should take three students out of the incoming Academy class, and privately train them as one team unit."

Several sets of eyes widened. Trained by a Jounin?

Uchiha Sasuke looked deadly determined. He had to do this, to help him achieve his goal.

Inuzuka Kiba grinned. "That's gonna be me!"

Nara Shikamaru sighed. "Well it's definitely not going to be me," he muttered. "And thank goodness. How troublesome."

"Alright!" Uzumaki Naruto lifted a fist in the air. "I'm going to make this Jounin acknowledge me, dattebayo! Then the whole village! Just you watch!" He pointed a finger at everyone.

Akimichi Chouji was munching nervously away at a bag of chips. Aburame Shino didn't even look like he'd heard the question, his expression still deadpan.

Mitarashi Anko stood back, unusually reserved. She was slightly behind Iruka, her expression revealing nothing, her arms crossed. Everyone had to know the Jounin was her; she was the only unfamiliar presence. Her purple hair up in a clip behind her head, she wore a skirt, fishnet armor, a long trenchcoat, and leg armor that made her shinobi sandals look like boots. She was tough, sexy, and adult; she was everything a kunoichi was supposed to be.

And so far she wasn't impressed.

The Uchiha boy was obsessed with revenge and highly unstable. Inuzuka was loud and braggadocious. Nara was lazy and unmotivated. Akimichi was a shy, timid comfort eater. Uzumaki in his own way had just as much to prove as Uchiha; like Uchiha, he had too much baggage. He was also obnoxious. Aburame was silent, but he also didn't seem to want it as badly as the others. No one else stood out.

Anko needed this to look good. Morino Ibiki had gotten her this post as a favor. They'd been friends ever since he'd mentally interrogated her for the way her Sensei had defected from the village and then left her to die. That sounded like an odd statement, but he had been the first to realize her innocence and he had supported her against all the moves Danzo on the council had made against her. But after all these years, Anko was still distrusted amongst the villagers. Perhaps, if she raised a healthy, successful team from the ground up, her reputation would improve.

Suddenly, there was a great explosion of noise. A little girl with short pink hair, long, scruffy bangs, and big green eyes fell out of line, tears in her eyes, trembling and holding herself away from the girls who had shoved her.

"Forehead Girl! Forehead Girl!" one shouted clearly, pointing. "You're never going to be chosen by the Jounin!"

"Hey! Screw off, don't pick on her that way!" a pale girl, much more confident, with blue eyes, short white blonde hair, a hair barrette, and a choker necklace said, clenching her fists and going to stand near the picked-on girl.

"Ami!" Iruka barked, clearly mortified in the presence of a Jounin. "Ino! Stop it -!" But he cut himself off. Everyone had gasped, stilling and going silent. Anko had walked over to the group of girls.

Even Ino and Ami swallowed, staring up at the expressionless woman.

"... Who is Ino?" said Anko. "And who's Ami?"

"Excuse me, Mitarashi-san, that's -" Iruka began.

Anko held up a hand. "Excuse _me_ , Iruka-sensei," she said. "I wasn't talking to you." She looked between the girls. "Who is Ino?" she repeated. "And who is Ami?" She was almost whispering, but they heard every word effortlessly. A stark silence had filled the courtyard.

"I'm Ino," the blonde girl admitted nervously.

"And I'm Ami." The bully, a girl with short purple hair, glared defiantly.

Anko turned to the pink haired girl. "And who are you?"

"Sakura," said the girl, looking up at her in clear fear.

Anko turned to Ami. "And why," he said, "would Sakura never be chosen by me?"

Ami looked game, though Anko saw her fists clench and unclench at her sides. "Because she's none of the things a kunoichi is supposed to be!" she said. "She's an ugly brainiac nerd with no skills! She's not even from a ninja family!"

Sakura looked away, tears filling her eyes again.

"So let's break this down," said Anko. "She's intelligent." Ami paused. Sakura looked up. "Since she is not from a ninja family, of course she would have no skills. That means she is putting herself through this willingly, because she has the ambition to, with no family pushing her forward. And you say she's ugly."

"Yeah!" said Ami. "Just look at her forehead!" She pointed.

Anko bent down to Sakura's level. She did look very plain. "You're not wearing good color shades for your complexion type," she said. "Your haircut could use a little work. And…" She brushed Sakura's bangs out of the way to reveal a large forehead. "You need new bangs," she decided clinically.

"I think she should show off her forehead," said Ino boldly. "People only make fun of something when you show you're self conscious of it."

Anko stood and went over to Ino. "And that brings me to you. Yamanaka Ino. Why did you defend Sakura?"

"Because I don't like watching other girls get picked on," said Ino firmly. "Especially over something like their appearance."

"Yamanaka Ino. Your incoming kunoichi scores were the highest in the class." Ino looked proud of herself. "Your father works for ANBU Black Ops, yes?"

"That's right."

"And your mother?"

"She's a former Chuunin. She runs a flower shop," said Ino.

Anko turned to Sakura. "And you?"

"M-my mother is a single civilian parent," said Sakura, looking down in shame. "My father died when I was a baby." Anko saw Ami sneer out of the corner of her eye.

"And what is your surname?"

"Haruno, ma'am."

"Well, Haruno Sakura. Why do you want to be a ninja?"

Sakura looked up in surprise. "Well… well, I want to be important," she said. "The kind of girl who can, you know…" She blushed. "Who can seduce men and save her village and have a vote in politics… and stuff." She trailed off in a mutter. "Sorry," she sighed. "I guess that sounds more like a fairy tale, huh?"

"Less so than you might think," said Anko. Sakura looked up in surprise, and Ino gave her a smile. "How were your scores in chakra control, Haruno Sakura?"

"One hundreds all across the boards, ma'am." Sakura managed a shy smile. "They're the only thing I did well in."

Anko turned to Iruka. "My first two students are Yamanaka Ino and Haruno Sakura," she said. Ino gasped in delight and Sakura looked up in disbelief.

"But what about me!" said Ami, indignant and thunderstruck.

"I don't want bullies on my team," said Anko coolly. "Besides. Only an unobservant person sees flaws instead of potential in a fellow comrade."

Ino grinned and stuck out her tongue at Ami, whose mouth was opening and closing silently. Sakura beamed.

Ami's face screwed up and she ran away crying. One of her friends ran after her.

"She'll have to get used to it," said Anko, her expression not changing. "The entire shinobi force is one of pass or fail. Now. Iruka-san." She turned to Iruka, who seemed shaken. "Let us have some tests to see who is Sakura and Ino's teammate, yes?"

And so Anko stood back, Sakura and Ino beside her, and watched as the students did countless tests before her. Sakura and Ino were trying to copy her tough, confident posture, something she found vaguely amusing. The tests were taijutsu sparring, weapons throwing, and chakra channeling.

Uchiha Sasuke was obviously trying to impress, and he _was_ impressive - he was also vicious and antisocial with no friends and an arrogant attitude. Uzumaki Naruto was also trying to impress, and he failed miserably - even taking into account the Academy teachers' probable prejudice, the boy had no talent whatsoever. Some other people were good, but no one else stood out.

Until Anko saw one girl out in the taijutsu sparring ring. She had short blue-black hair and silvery-violet Hyuuga eyes with no pupils. She obviously knew more about what she was doing than her opponent, but she kept hanging back and hanging back hesitantly and getting knocked down.

"Who is that?" Anko asked Iruka in a mutter.

"The boy is Ryuu -"

"No. The girl."

Iruka paused, puzzled. "Hyuuga Hinata," he said. "Clan head Hiashi's daughter. He passed her over for clan heiress. She's the shyest, most timid student I have."

At last, Anko walked out into the ring, and both fighters paused. She knelt down beside Hinata. "Why aren't you winning this fight?" she asked simply.

"B-because I'm no good at -" Hinata began, looking down.

"No. You obviously know what to do. That is not the problem." Hinata looked up, confused. "The problem is that you keep holding back, telling yourself you won't do good."

"But - but I don't want to hurt anybody!" said Hinata in protest.

"Look, Hyuuga," said Anko. "There are only two reasons you would be in a fight. In the first, someone is trying to kill you. No thoughts about how well you are doing should enter your mind. You should only try to survive and win.

"But in the second situation, you're fighting a comrade. That's trickier, isn't it? But let me tell you something: when you fight a comrade, you are really trying to save their life." Hinata looked confused. "You have a little sister, right? Let's say you never fight your hardest against your little sister. Let's say she goes out on a mission, and the enemy _does_ fight their hardest against her, and she dies." Hinata's eyes widened. "You could have prevented that. Do you see what I mean?

"You're not hurting someone by fighting hard against them. You're helping them." Anko stood back. "Now fight again. I want to see the difference. I have faith in your ability to save others, Hinata," she said.

Hinata's eyes were big. But then hard, fierce determination filled them. She looked back at her enemy, and got into a Hyuuga Gentle Fist stance. She did still wait for the other person to move first, which could be worked on, but then when they did her hands flashed out and in under a minute she had the person on the ground with a hand poised over them.

She stopped, breathing hard. A diamond in the rough.

There was slow clapping. Hinata turned around to see Anko standing there, a small smile on her face. "Hyuuga Hinata," she said. "Congratulations. You are my third pupil."

Hinata looked surprised. She knelt and bowed low. "Th-thank you, Anko-sensei," she said, "for this great honor."

"An all-women team, Anko?" Iruka muttered to Anko.

"Yes," said Anko, smiling. "I think a team without a lot of big egos is just what Konoha needs. The three I have chosen," she said. "Come with me." She turned away.

"Wait!"

Naruto and Sasuke both ran out into the center of the courtyard behind Anko.

"I want to prove to you that I'm really great!" Naruto said loudly, pointing at Anko. "Give me one more chance!"

"Naruto, the Jounin has made her choice, don't be an idiot!" Iruka despaired, angry.

"N-Naruto-kun," Hinata began worriedly, "I'm sorry, I didn't think -"

"You shut up!" Naruto rounded on Hinata, determined. "I'm going to beat you!"

Hinata felt her heart clench as the boy she'd admired, the boy who'd saved her from bullies, now rounded on her. "B-but -"

"Fight me! Right now! I'll beat you!"

"N-naruto kun… there is nothing I'd like more than for you to win, b-but I have to be a good ninja too and I-I have no reason to fight you right now…" Hinata's fingers were pushing against each other nervously.

"What?! I can't hear you!" said Naruto loudly.

And at last, Hinata got angry. "I said I have no reason to fight you right now!" she shouted quite loudly, surprising everyone. Then she turned away. What an idiot she'd been, she thought. How stupid.

"My decisions are final," said Anko, still revealing nothing. "They will not be changed."

Sasuke's teeth were gritted in resentment. Suddenly, he flashed out in a flurry of kunai, attacking Anko. But they hit the tree beyond her. Anko had disappeared.

Then suddenly Sasuke felt a nerve pinched on his neck. His body went numb and he fell limply to the ground. Anko picked him up and growled into his face, "Attacking a Jounin is usually a stupid move, for future reference. Idiot." She gave a sickly sweet smile. "I could have paralyzed you permanently. Instead, I went easy on you and the paralysis will wear off in a few minutes. You look really cool, but you overestimate your abilities." She tossed Sasuke aside. "A fatal flaw."

Sakura and Ino watched with wide eyes as the boy they'd always thought was so cool was suddenly revealed to have feet of clay. To be a nobody, in the grand scheme of things.

"Let's go," said Anko, and she walked away off the Academy courtyard, past a frightened Naruto and an almost-equally-frightened Iruka. _She's… she's terrifying… she's amazing…_ Naruto thought, shaking.

Hinata, Sakura, and Ino looked back over their shoulders one last time at the two boys - and then uncertainly followed their fearsome Sensei off the Academy courtyard.

They would spend the next four years being trained by Anko instead. They would never enter the Academy once.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

Most standard Konoha training fields were the same: a field of green grass, a river, and a surrounding forest full of tall, dark green trees. Anko led her new team to one of these, each student sitting before her in the grass. She stood above them.

"My name is Mitarashi Anko," she said. "And I will be your new Jounin Sensei. I want you to each go around and say your name and your family background. It's good for teammates to know each other."

"My name is Hyuuga Hinata," said Hinata, still quiet but tougher and more stoical than she had been earlier. Anko's encouragement of aggressiveness and her loudness during Naruto's rejection had changed something inside of her. "My father is the head of my ninja clan. I also have a little sister, Hanabi, who is the heiress of our clan, and an older cousin, Neji, who is a branch family retainer. My mother died when I was very young."

"My father died when I was a baby," Sakura offered, still sweet and shy but bright and curious. Being picked over her bullies and saved from the Academy seemed to have brightened her up considerably. "My mother is a single civilian parent… Oh! And my name is Haruno Sakura."

"Both my parents are living, and ninja," Ino added next, smiling and confident. Ino flourished in places where she was admired and considered the top of the heap. "My father works for ANBU and my mother is a former Chuunin who owns a flower shop. Sometimes I help her around the shop. Like Sakura, I'm an only child. My name is Yamanaka Ino."

"Very well," said Anko, unreadable. "Now, before we make you good ninja, I want to make you good, well-rounded girls and people. There is an idea in this world that ninja are only supposed to be emotionless tools, weapons. I don't see it that way at all. I think having a strong sense of yourself as a person outside being a ninja is key to not becoming psychologically unstable." She darkened and quieted, thinking of Orochimaru-sensei.

After a moment in which the girls looked confused at the change in Anko, Anko added: "So I'm going to help you find new clothes and hobbies, I'm going to teach you about Buddhism because spirituality is another important element to who we are, and I'm going to teach you all the things I think a young girl should know. After that, we'll move on to ninja abilities. Got it?"

"Yes, Anko-sensei!" said the girls, surprised and interested, Hinata speaking quieter than the other two.

"Okay," said Anko. "The first thing I want to warn you away from is fad diets. They may sound good on the surface, but fad diets in which you go without eating weaken you. They make you sick with hunger and prone to fainting, especially if you're out exercising as ninja are wont to do. If you don't want to be a weak kunoichi, you shouldn't go on fad diets. They make you unhealthy.

"Instead, you should exercise and eat and drink healthily. Always eat three meals a day. It's better for you, it makes your body fuller and stronger and your cheeks more flushed, it makes you a stronger kunoichi, and that can be very attractive. By the way, you're allowed to eat however much food you want. Never let society tell you what you can and cannot eat."

Ino raised her hand. "But wouldn't that make us heavier?"

"Perhaps. Heavier in muscle mass, certainly," said Anko. "Being a little curvier is not a bad thing. We should accept and love our bodies the way they are, curves and all, without aspiring toward some impossible idea of societal beauty.

"I try to practice body positivity. Body positivity means that all bodies are good bodies. It doesn't matter what color or size or shape they are, the person with the body should practice self love, self care, and self acceptance. That applies to all of you. Love your body, care for your body, accept your body. That means exercising it and feeding it healthy foods, treating it gently and thinking good thoughts about it. No matter what it looks like.

"Body positivity also reminds us that what one person is not attracted to, another person might be attracted to. Society tells us that in order to be pretty, we have to somehow be super thin with gigantic boobs and bust. Putting aside the fact that this is nearly impossible, it's not true. Some people are attracted to thinner women. Some people are attracted to curvier women. Just because you're not stick-skinny, doesn't mean you're not attractive. Just because you don't have huge boobs, doesn't mean you're not attractive. Stick-skinny people and curvy people can both be attractive, to different people. You are your own kind of attractive. And you are allowed to wear and look the way you want. That's where 'thinking good thoughts about your body' comes in. And when you're confident in your body the way it is, magically, your whole appearance changes and you become more appealing.

"I would also like to remind you that you can't always tell if someone is unhealthy just by looking at them. A thin person who's not eating or exercising could be very unhealthy. A curvy person who's working out and eating a big nutritious meal every day could be very healthy. It all depends on what body type we naturally have. And just because a person is unhealthy, that doesn't make them unworthy of self love. Yes, it's important to work toward being healthy, but would you shame someone with an illness because they were sick?"

"Well - well -" said Ino.

"Of course not," Anko continued fiercely. "And it's the same with bodies. I would also remind you that going on fad diets like many models is very unhealthy. It can kill you."

The girls' eyes widened.

"It's true," said Anko. "Going without food for long periods of time can kill you. Your body gets so weak that your muscles begin to eat away at your heart to stay alive, and you die. There is a whole disorder attached to going for long periods of time without eating, anorexia, and it is considered a potentially deadly mental disorder. Bulimia, eating lots of food and then throwing it all back up, is also a possibly fatal mental disorder.

"Don't fall into these habits. They can kill you."

"What else does body positivity mean, Sensei?" said Sakura curiously, raising her hand. The girls seemed to have digested her words at last; it had gotten them thinking, and this was good.

"Well," said Anko, "there's the whole debate about whether the terms 'fat' and 'plus size' are negative and insulting or not."

"No guess there," said Ino. "Of course they're insulting. I say that as someone who's said them."

"Tell me more," said Anko, not judging or revealing anything.

"Well… I can be kind of bossy, and I have this really big family friend named Chouji who's always eating… So I tell him he's fat and he should eat better," said Ino sheepishly. "But… now that I'm thinking about it… yeah, that really is meant to be insulting, isn't it?" She looked thoughtful, troubled. She had never considered this before.

"First, Ino," said Anko, "the word 'bossy' is often used for smart girls who take charge. And there's nothing wrong with being that way. But you're right in that it's wrong to shame someone and insult them, telling them they're unworthy of self love, because of their body type. You shouldn't tell someone they're fat and they should eat better. If all he ever eats is potato chips, you could say you're worried for his health and suggest healthy snacks instead. But don't tell him he's fat and he should stop eating. That can lead down a long road of bad health and self hatred for some people."

"Right. Sorry," said Ino, wincing. "I guess I just always considered being 'attractive' - or, I guess, what society considers attractive - and popular as really important."

"It's important that you recognize it's society telling you those things," said Anko. "And as for being popular, there's nothing wrong with that. But having friends you can trust is more important than the number of friends you have. If a friend turned on you and insulted you, would you still want to be friends with that person?"

"... No," Ino realized. "I wouldn't want to be friends with someone who makes me feel bad about myself."

"Exactly. Now here's a question for you: what is the opposite of plus sized?" Anko asked.

The girls immediately looked bewildered. "... Negative… sized?" Sakura finally said uncertainly.

"Exactly. Fat is usually used as an insult. Plus sized doesn't even make any sense," said Anko. "Some people are trying to reclaim fat and plus sized as descriptors instead of insults. You know… 'she's pretty with red hair and she's fat.' But just in case, I would not use words like fat and plus sized to describe curvier people. You could accidentally insult them and make them feel bad about themselves. When, perhaps, they were just born to look like that naturally and are doing everything they can to stay healthy.

"Basically, body positivity is all about everyone deserving to feel beautiful and worthy of attention and love. And you should feel like that about yourselves, too."

* * *

"Eating healthy, especially for exercise, has several elements," said Anko. They were walking together through the grocery store with a gigantic grocery cart. "I'm going to lead you toward healthier food and drinks. I'm going to point some things out to you and you tell me if you want to buy it. It's time to stock up your pantry with healthy foods!"

They went around the perimeter of the grocery store. "Here are the fruits and vegetables," said Anko. "Anyone want a try?"

"I'll take some apples," said Sakura. "And some bananas." She went to put the fruit into a grocery bag.

"I want vegetables," said Hinata. "I'll go get carrots and broccoli."

Next they went to the carbs. "I'm stocking up," said Ino, picking out bread with peanut butter, bagels, and pasta. They all bought rice. Then they went to the cereal section, where they all picked out oatmeal and cream of wheat.

Next they went to the deli. "Here is where you get your meat," said Anko, "along with your poultry and your seafood, and your salads. Boneless, skinless, lean cuts are always best. Pick out your favorites!"

Ino got some chicken and roast beef. Sakura got salmon, trout, and herring. Hinata got turkey, ham, pastrami, and little cuts of pepperoni. They all bought salads.

Then they stopped by the dairy section, where they got milk and eggs, and unsalted nuts to put in yogurt. They got tofu. They got bean ingredients for natto. They got soup ingredients. And finally, they got their oils: olive oil and vegetable oil.

"Always cook with these healthy oils," Anko said.

They stopped by the drinks section, where they got bottled water, tea packets, and Gatorade. "Always keep hydrated," Anko said. "Make sure you pee a lot. Use a combination of all these things when you exercise."

* * *

She took them back to her apartment, a small and humble abode, where she taught them how to cook the various things they had bought.

Anko taught them how to chop and cook vegetables, meat, poultry, and seafood, using oils. She taught them how to make toast and cook rice, pasta, oatmeal, and cream of wheat. She also taught them how to make omelettes and scrambled eggs. They learned how to make natto (fermented soybean paste), and how to make onigiri (rice balls). She also taught them how to prepare tofu, and how to pickle and cure vegetables. And they learned how to make soup. Sushi was another piece of cooking they learned.

There were techniques for each. Chopping without cutting yourself or a finger off, for example. Mixing the eggs around to scramble them. Stirring cooking items. Removing hot food without burning your fingers. Straining water for pasta. Cross contamination was another thing they learned about.

They burned and cut themselves a few times, shrieking and dropping the cooking items. "It's just an injury," Anko would say, annoyed. "Geez." Soon they learned how not to injure themselves, and not to freak out if an injury happened.

Sometimes it was good to mix multiple things together - Hinata put vegetables in her rice. Sakura put pieces of fruit along with nuts in her yogurt. Peanut butter, Ino found, was good on bagels as well as toast.

They also all learned how to brew tea, with a special emphasis on green tea.

* * *

"It's good to start every morning after breakfast with a nice workout," said Anko, standing out in the training field again, hands on her hips. "I'm going to teach you three how to work out to make you tough, strong girls."

They always started with calisthenics. But after that, what they did each day varied. Sometimes they did pushups, sit-ups, and pullups. Other times they climbed up and down stairs and hills at high speeds. They also did swimming, rock climbing, and weightlifting.

Ino would have complained that working out would make her look boyish, but she remembered Anko's words about body positivity. All forms were attractive.

"This is hard," Sakura moaned one day, weightlifting.

Ino had just sighed and thought, _This sucks_ , but she'd kept on working out despite that because she wanted to get strong. Apparently Sakura had no such qualms.

Anko stalked over to Sakura. "I can't hear you!" she barked in her ear.

"This is hard…"

"What was that?!"

"I SAID THIS IS HARD, DAMNIT!" Sakura finally threw shy girlishness to the winds.

"That's right. Don't be afraid to get angry. Don't let society tell you girls can't get angry. Now take that anger and resentment at me, and channel it into your workout." Anko walked away.

"Try like this," said Ino, no longer afraid to be bossy, showing Sakura how it was done. "Just follow my lead. Remember, we want to get strong."

And so Sakura channeled her anger and aggressiveness into doing an excellent workout. She became a sweet yet aggressive girl.

"I don't see you giving up and saying this is too hard for you, Hyuuga," said Anko, walking over to Hinata.

"I must be at my best so I can challenge others and help them improve, Sensei," said Hinata determinedly, in between breaths as she weight lifted. "I must be direct and say what I'm thinking. I can't afford to stumble here."

"Excellent," Anko approved, and she walked away.

Slowly, the girls' complaining faded with time as they got used to cooking and eating healthily and working out every day.

Anko also had them do another exercise. "In the name of body positivity," she said, "you're each going to find one thing you like about your appearance and write it down each day. But here's the catch: you can't say the same thing twice.

"In this way, you have to keep finding good things you like about your body. Ways that body will be beautiful and advantageous to you in different areas of your life."


	3. Chapter 3

3.

"Today we're going to have a long, hard talk about boys," said Anko next in the training field. "Crushes are totally cool to have. Just keep a few things in mind: if it's a celebrity crush, please remember that you don't _actually_ know anything about the person. If it's a real-life crush, try to get to know the person better. If you approach them and you get a rejection, you should take it as just that - a final rejection."

"But - but -!" Ino, ever determined, began.

"You don't want to run the risk of harassing the person," Anko said, and Ino quieted. "Allow your heart to be broken. It's healthy. Allow that crush to end. In fact that, that goes for all crushes: eventually, you have to let them die."

Sakura looked thoughtful.

"Fictional crushes are much safer than crushes on anyone in real life," Anko continued dryly. "Feel free to have as many as you want.

"But let's say your real-life crush does turn into something more. You get into a relationship. Let's talk a little about relationships. There are several important elements to a strong, healthy relationship.

"Communication is vital. You have to be able to talk with your partner, and if you don't feel you can do that, it's not a good relationship. Healthy couples can say 'I love you' to one another and offer compliments. They also talk about the bad stuff alongside the good stuff.

"Respect. If you don't respect your partner, and you don't feel respected in return, like you can trust the person, it's not a good relationship. This means never deliberately hurting your partner, or for that matter anyone else. Always see others as individual beings worthy of respect. No violence." Anko looked sideways at Sakura here, who had gotten violent and insulting occasionally in her newfound aggression and anger. Sakura blushed and became a little smaller. "This also means you should feel your partner is just that - a partner. They should be beside you, not in front of or behind you. They should be your support, not your protector or your dead weight. There should be an equal division of chores, and everyone should have a chance to do everything and to do their fair share. No one can save you except yourself, and no one should feel like a chore or an annoyance to you. Respect yourself as an individual: offer to split the bill, take time for yourself and your friends, never be pressured into anything you don't want to do, speak up when there's a problem, ask for pleasure in the relationship, and make sure your career is important alongside your partner.

"Quality time together. If the two of you don't spend quality time together, it's not a good relationship. It's not about how much time you spend together, but about how meaningful that time is. A couple can spend all day watching TV together and not say a word to one another. Your relationship should not be like that.

"You have to spend time apart. Each of you must be an independent person, separate of the relationship. The relationship should be a fun little aspect to your day, not your whole day. Finding hobbies and time to yourself is just as important as success in the relationship.

"Each of you has to learn what the other needs to feel loved. And then each person needs to provide that thing for the other person. Say you're dating a really quiet guy. You feel loved with words of endearment, but he feels loved when you do certain acts for him, like make him dinner after he's had a bad day. Well then, you should do things for him when he's upset, but he should also say words of endearment to you - even if he's naturally really quiet or he finds those things silly. He should care enough about you to say those words to you, because they matter to you.

"Appreciation is an important aspect of a relationship. You have to show the other person you appreciate everything they do, and the other person has to show the same to you.

"It is important to remember that no one is perfect. You should look at a person's positive character traits, as well as their negative. Look at both the bad and the good and make sure you can handle that person."

All three girls needed that little reminder.

"Choose your battles in a relationship. There will be fights. It's inevitable. But make sure they're fights over important things. Don't bicker over the minutiae.

"Try not to compare your relationship to another person's. Everyone goes at different paces and the grass is not always greener on the other side. You could say that about people, too, actually. Just because a person's life seems better, doesn't mean it is."

Sakura nodded, considering this.

"We will talk more about sex in later years," Anko added. "But let me just say here that sex is a pleasurable act people do in relationships, and sexual fulfillment in a relationship is important."

Here, the girls looked curious.

"On an added side note: I say this is about boys, but really it can apply to girls too," said Anko. "Women can fall in love with women, men can fall in love with men, men can decide they identify as women, and women can decide they identify as men. There's nothing wrong with any of that. It's not our job to police how other people feel or who they fall in love with.

"On the flip side, there are many pluses to being single, and don't discount those. Rule number one is never let a man define who you are. You have to be comfortable being yourself and loving yourself before you get into a relationship. You will realize you want the kind of man who respects and treats you the way you treat and respect yourself. And that's what being single brings you.

"Think of all the benefits to being single. You can travel when you want to, be a homebody and sit around in your pajamas all day if you want to, express yourself more creatively, have all-nighters, learn how to cook better, figure out your career goals. Being single gives you more time to figure out what it is you really want. You have more money to yourself as a single person, you have more energy to spend on yourself, and sex as a single person can actually be very rewarding. You're busier as a single person, and more importantly, you learn how to stand on your own two feet. So don't be in a hurry to get into a relationship too fast."

"Easy for you to say," Sakura grumbled.

"I know there's a lot of societal pressure, but try to remember it's just that - society," said Anko.

"I like being single," Hinata decided boldly.

"Good for you. Now, let me move on to the topic of sexism.

"You are going to experience sexism in your life. Whether it's men thinking you're not a competent ninja or you need protection because you're a woman, or men not allowing you time to yourself in a public space, or men saying women usually suck at something but you're doing great at it, or someone telling you that you can't dress a certain way because it'll make you look like a slut. Sometimes men will interrupt you or try to talk over you. Sometimes you'll be offered less pay than men. Sometimes men will act like everything concerning being a woman is completely horrific. Sometimes both men and women will be shamed for being feminine, or you'll get told you're being shrill or overemotional or you're on your period because you're a woman and therefore you cannot have legitimate emotional concerns about things. This sort of goes back to Ino being called bossy.

"Please remember that none of these things are true. You are competent. You don't need protection. Women don't 'naturally' suck at anything - individual people suck at individual things. You can dress however you feel like dressing, goddamnit. You want to wear a tiny skirt? Wear a tiny skirt. You want to wear a sweatshirt? Wear a sweatshirt. You're worth just as much as a man. There's nothing wrong with being feminine but don't let gender norms stop you from being masculine either. And you are allowed to be emotional and have opinions about things and take the lead. _Never_ feel ashamed of that. Don't take crap from men. For that matter, don't take crap from women who have swallowed society, either. True, classy women don't tear one another down.

"Basically, kiddies, there are a few things I think every young girl should hear at least once in her life, and here they are:

"You are allowed to make whatever decisions you choose concerning yourself.

"You don't have to fall under any label. You are what you say you are. Just be yourself. Be individual and true.

"Just because you're not stereotypically beautiful does not mean you're not smart, kind, important, and worth loving.

"You can do anything you truly want to do.

"You know what's best for yourself. Don't let others police you.

"And you are loved, cared about, and respected."

Sakura and Ino looked fiery and determined. Hinata looked particularly emotional for a moment. Her whole life she'd been told she had to meet certain Hyuuga standards or she was a failure. She looked away, for the first time feeling like she was allowed to be herself. Her teammates watched her in concern for a moment.

"Get it? Got it?" said Anko. "Good. Now that the little girl teaching stuff is out of the way with, we get to hobbies and shopping."


	4. Chapter 4

4.

"Today is a day for fashion," said Anko. They were walking down a long row of high streets with glittering shop windows, stepping on the paving stones in the road. The buildings were tall and shaped in all sorts of fantastic swirls, the roofs fascinating colors of lemon and lime. "We give you each a new look. This is Konoha village's main shopping district.

"One thing to remember about fashion: always make sure you do it because it makes _you_ feel good and _you_ want to look good. It's nice if boys are attracted to you, but that's not necessary. You want the kind of boy who will be attracted to you because of the way you really feel comfortable looking.

"First step is hair." They walked into a hair salon and Anko picked up a magazine, showing them the pictures. "Always look for women in here with your face shape," she said. "Sakura is a heart, Ino is an oval, and Hinata is a circle. Your haircuts should reflect that. Sakura should also have a nice set of bangs for her wide forehead. Other than that, choose whatever you want." She smiled and waved a hand. "Don't be afraid to be bold and crazy, if it's what you really want. Go nuts."

The girls looked up in excitement… and then bent over the magazine, oohing and aahing over the pictures inside.

Sakura chose a pixie haircut with long, sideswept bangs. Ino chose long, straight, sleek, and shiny hair, no bangs. Hinata chose an asymmetrical chin-length bob with uneven short layers, the hair curling inward slightly around her chin. They each smiled nervously as they sat in the chair, feeling the snip as their hair was cut into the correct shape.

Outside the hair salon, Anko handed each of them two cards. "These are fabric swatches and makeup shades," she said, when they looked confused. "Hinata is a Winter, Ino is a Summer, and Sakura is a Spring, so those are your corresponding colors. You see, hair, eye, and skin colors have been divided into four 'types,' or seasons. Hinata and Ino have cool blue skin tones, while Sakura has a warm gold skin tone. Hinata and Sakura favor bright, clear colors while Ino favors more muted shades. Cool and muted is Summer, warm and clear is Spring, cool and clear is Winter, and warm and muted is Autumn, the other type. Autumns also have gold skin undertones.

"Get it? So those are the kinds of colors you should be wearing in makeup and clothes. They will bring out your skin, eyes, and hair. This goes for kimono as well as it does for ordinary clothes. Obviously, if you don't like a color on one of these lists, just tear it off. They're organized so you can tear off anything you don't like. Keep these with you, and you'll always have something to compare colors and shades to."

In the end, Sakura's clothing colors of choice were off white, creamy beige, golden brown, yellow gray, navy blue, light warm aqua, apricot, and coral pink. Her lipstick colors were coral pink, apricot, poppy red, and pink clover. She chose linen and peach blush, cornflower eyeliner, pearl base shadow, and ochre color.

In clothes, Ino chose pale pink, pale blue, soft violet, periwinkle, turquoise, hot pink, burgundy, true red, royal blue, plum, dark blue green, rose brown, rust, teal blue, and olive and jade greens. Her lipsticks were pink jasmine, amethyst, sweet pea, raspberry, cherry, burgundy, dusty rose, and pink jasmine. Her blushes were English rose, wild rose, and cool spice. Her eyeliners were graphite, smoke, fig, and cocoa. Her base shadows were jasmine, dusk, silver, and sky. Her colors were lilac and smoke.

Hinata's clothing colors were pure white, deep black, icy gray, charcoal gray, icy green, emerald green, icy aqua, hot turquoise, icy pink, shocking pink, icy yellow, lemon yellow, icy violet, and royal purple. Her lipsticks were fuchsia, pink sorbet, and cranberry. Her blush was cyclamen. Her eyeliners were grape and forest, her base shadow was sand, and her color was cornflower.

"So we'll buy you kunoichi dresses in these clothing shades, and you can mix and match," said Anko, as she helped them apply makeup for the first time. "We will also buy you underwear, kunoichi underwear, for working out. Loose and cotton is vital, so you don't get a yeast infection. But we also have to buy casual wear clothes and underwear for you. Keep in mind that in this sphere you can dress any way you want to, in whatever shapes you want to - it's all about what makes _you_ feel most comfortable."

Sakura went casual - flats, shorts, tank tops, maybe a cardigan if it got cold out. Her chosen underwear was boy shorts and bikini cuts. Ino went quirky - purple platforms, feather and beaded necklaces, tutus and motorcycle jackets together, sparkly painted toenails. She liked her underwear fancy - silky and low-cut, what she called "champagne underwear." It made her feel nice. Hinata went girly - cute little peep toed shoes, scarfs, floral pattern skirts and little hair-bows. She mixed neutrals and darks with bright colors to keep it low key. Her underwear consisted of bra and panty sets, in lace, pink, and polka dot patterns.

At the end, they all gazed at themselves in the mirror. Sakura in Spring colors had a pixie cut, in flats, shorts, a tank top, and a cardigan. Ino in Summer colors had long, sleek, straight, and shiny hair, with purple platforms, feather and beaded necklaces, tutus and motorcycle jackets, and sparkly nail polish. Hinata in Winter colors had an asymmetrical chin-length bob, in peep toed shoes, a floral dress, and a scarf, with a little hair-bow on the side of her head.

Each girl also had several new sets of tough kunoichi dresses in varying seasonal shades, for when it was time to get serious.

* * *

"It's important that you all find several hobbies you can do that have nothing to do with being a ninja," said Anko. "After you finish work for the day, go home and do something fun. Don't become workaholics. So I recommend you all keep trying hobbies until you find more than one that suits you. Ask me if you need any suggestions."

And so they began, trying out different hobbies until they found a couple that suited them.

Hinata ended up doing baking, since she had such a big sweet tooth, and flower pressing. She also tried other crafts, like jewelry making, sewing, embroidery, and origami. Hinata found joy in creating things.

Ino did painting, window shopping, and partner dancing (such as swing). She painted the walls of her room and went out dancing every Friday night, starting out with children's classes and then moving from there as she got older into the bigger dances. Window shopping became her getaway for when she just wanted to go out and do something relaxing.

Sakura read books, naturally as she was the brainiac. She became a big bookworm. She also did crossword and sudoku puzzles, along with actual physical puzzles. And on Anko's recommendation she began writing, first journaling and then stories and poetry.

Anko also recommended several hobbies to them collectively. She had them subscribe to paid online movie and TV streaming websites, and she got them into modern music.

She also gave them recommendations for sleep therapy so they could get a good night's sleep each night. These recommendations included warm milk and herbal tea each evening, a warm bath each evening, a sound maker for their bedroom that played soothing repetitive sounds such as waves crashing or rain falling or crickets chirping to help them sleep at night, and online ASMR videos and audiobooks to fall asleep to.

* * *

"Now we come to spirituality," said Anko next. "Now we come to Zen and Buddhism."


	5. Chapter 5

5.

"In Buddhism," said Anko, "it is taught that we are blocked from achieving happiness by cravings. We cling to these cravings, thinking they will make us happy, and they block us from achieving true happiness. These cravings include cravings for sensory pleasures, cravings to continually cling to life and death, and cravings to not experience painful feelings.

"In other words, once we let go of these cravings, and realize that eternal life will not make us happy, that sensory pleasures will not make us happy, and that experiencing pain is necessary to experience joy - once we realize these things, we can become truly happy. Pain and joy are both impermanent, as are life and pleasure. Do not cling to impermanent things.

"Take a relationship, for example. No relationship lasts forever, even if it ends in death, so we should just enjoy it while we can. The relationship is impermanent. Don't cling to it. Never feel the need to 'possess' anything. Simply enjoy it. But the memory and feeling of the relationship - that is permanent. That will last us forever.

"Or take an assumption of what our future will be like. Do not cling to that set image of your future. You do not know what your future will be like. When you are uncertain of your future, that's good. A set future is always impermanent. That doesn't mean you can't plan, but don't cling emotionally to those plans.

"Cling to permanent things, not to impermanent things.

"Also, do not cling to thoughts of 'I' and arrogant feelings of accomplishment. Always have the beginner's mind. It is open and free of assumptions, judgments, jealousy, pettiness, and arrogance. The open beginner's mind looks at others with compassion, and is not caught up in the accomplishments of the self. When we get caught up in the accomplishments, experiences, and perfectionism of the 'I' is where we run into trouble. Perfection is never possible. Remember that. The 'I' can change with the times; it is impermanent. Do not cling to the 'I' and the need for its permanent existence. Be compassionate, and nonjudgmental. Give to others without thought of the 'I.' That is the only way to truly give.

"Konoha tries to follow this. We value teamwork and comradery, and we teach only to kill another person when you have to, or when the other person is trying to kill you. This is not to make the 'I' feel better, but simply because it is the right thing to do. Compassion is permanent, though life is impermanent.

"Zen Buddhism in particular teaches that we are caught in an endless cycle of life, death, and reincarnation anyway. Even the enlightened people always reincarnate - so that they can then teach other people to experience enlightenment, do you see?

"There is also the idea of karma. Karma means that every time you do a good deed or have a good thought, you plant a good seed in your soul. Every time you do a bad deed or have a bad thought, you plant a bad seed in your soul. That bad seed of bad luck will grow until at some point in one of your lives your badness will come back to get you. The same thing goes for good seeds - if you do good things and have good thoughts, good things will happen to you in future times. That's the theory.

"Nirvana is the ultimate state of peace and enlightenment that should be achieved in Buddhism. We achieve Nirvana by following the Eightfold Path:

"Right View, which means to believe in Buddhist teachings. Right Resolve, which means to resolve yourself to follow Buddhist teachings.

"Right Speech, which means never to lie, never to do abusive or divisive speech, and never to chatter on and on about unimportant things. Right Action, which means never to kill, steal, or do sexual misconduct such as rape. Right Livelihood, which means not to cheat or harm other living beings, including animals.

"Right Effort, which means to try to eliminate all bad things from your soul - once you try, you have succeeded, Zen teaches. And Right Mindfulness, which means to meditate regularly and to live in the present moment - we can't focus on yesterday, and we don't know whether or not we'll have tomorrow, but we know we have today. Connected to this is Right Concentration - to only concentrate on whatever is before you at the time, and do as much as you can for each thing you concentrate on.

"Now I will teach you meditation."

* * *

The girls were all sitting cross-legged, backs straight, eyes closed - and they were having trouble. They kept twitching, shifting, their eyes squeezed shut -

"You're trying too hard," said Anko.

All three girls' eyes popped open in surprise to find Anko, sitting cross legged in front of them, also had her eyes open.

"In meditation, you don't block out all thoughts - you just let them come and go, and then in between thoughts you return to your body and your breathing. If you're struggling, you're trying too hard. Meditation is supposed to be peaceful, centering, relaxing."

The girls' eyes closed again. After that, it came a little easier.

"People who meditate for hours every day are also not doing it right," said Anko later. Hinata in particular was surprised, thinking of Neji. "Those people are excited for a fad, but they don't practice the Zen mindset in their daily lives. When the excitement wears off, they will go right back to being the way they were before. Meditating about once a week, or whenever you feel you need to relax and refocus, is usually enough. Make it a small, regular part of your life.

"Now. I will give you each some scriptures to read and some sutras to chant. They will be difficult to understand at first, but remember to just keep an open mind and try - once you do that, you have succeeded.

"In the meantime, we will visit a Buddhist temple."

* * *

The Zen Buddhist temple in Konoha was in the forestry around the village, by the tall wooden wall that surrounded it circularly on all sides. It had ancient arching roofs, beautiful gardens, and a quiet, tranquil, rippling pond nearby. The inside was made of ancient wood with sliding shoji screens, and it contained a beautiful gold statue of the Buddha with a shrine.

One always had to ritually purify and cleanse themselves with water, and remove shoes, before entering the temple.

They visited temple twice - once for making offerings of flowers and food to the Buddha statue (these would later be donated to the homeless), burning incense, bowing and prostrating themselves before the Buddha, and offering prayers. Then they meditated. This was a private way of attending temple.

Then the next time they did a public way of attending temple, and went to a formal teaching with a Buddhist master. Everyone stood as the teacher entered the room, sat down after he had seated himself. They started out by going through a few short prayers together. Then the teacher did a peaceful discussion on non-existence, which tied back into what Anko-sensei had told them about the importance of uncertainty. Then they all recited a few short prayers together again. At the end of the teaching, everyone stood as the teacher left.

It was a very quiet, highly respectful and peaceful place full of calm, deliberate movements. And it made them feel better - the idea that there was a compassionate spiritual and moral map for them to follow, and a continued cycle of rebirth after death. In other words, once one existed, that was it - there was no true death. There was only freedom.

This was especially important for oncoming ninja.

To go alongside their written scriptures and sutras, each girl made a small Buddhist shrine to put in their bedrooms. In this, they found a kind of spiritual peace. They started going to temple once a week alongside Anko, and through temple they made many friends.


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Notes_ : This chapter is an important intervening chapter before we get to ninja fighting skills. It also discusses what the true point of divergence for the story is.

* * *

6.

Hyuuga Hiashi watched his eldest daughter on the Hyuuga clan sparring mat in their vast compound. She had changed significantly.

She had become, for a Hyuuga, positively radical. She pottered around in the kitchen, rather like her mother had once pottered around in the garden (he thought with a pang), and her sweet kindness was much more confident and humble. Humility was not commonly seen in the Hyuuga clan, and commoners' work and kindness in a main family member was positively taboo.

But there was more. She began speaking up, asserting what _she_ wanted, and talking about avoiding the eventual coming of an arranged marriage. What was more, she had improved significantly in the clan spars. She was much tougher and more aggressive than she used to be, quiet but hard. Suddenly, she had class.

Then there was the way she dressed. She moved between kunoichi dresses and casual wear clothes. And while there was nothing precisely _wrong_ with kunoichi dresses, they were more sexual than a main family member was commonly used to. Her haircut was positively odd, and while her commoners' clothes were sweet, cute, and modest, they were also still commoners' clothes.

Then she turned around and began attending temple and offering incense and prayers, meditating.

He watched her defeat Hanabi, the supposed clan heiress, yet again, and realized she had become a contester for Neji. What was more, she was calm; she did not seem particularly concerned about it.

Yes, it was time to talk to Mitarashi Anko.

* * *

Haruno Mebuki was not sure how to feel about the changes in her daughter.

She had once considered becoming a kunoichi herself. But her father had died and she'd needed to help her mother until her death. She'd finally gotten married and considered herself safe at last, but then Kizashi had died, and she'd had to take care of a baby, and it had just never seemed to be the right time. So she was not displeased when her daughter decided to be a ninja at a young age.

But Sakura had quickly come home increasingly depressed. She had no significant skills, and was bullied frequently by the other girls.

Mebuki had privately petitioned the Hokage to revive the old practice of having a Jounin take three students out of the Academy, hoping her obviously intelligent daughter would be chosen. When she had, and seemed to blossom under Mitarashi Anko, Mebuki had become increasingly delighted.

But then Sakura had begun growing alarmingly quickly. She became an impassioned young girl, and started talking about Buddhist tenets like the inevitability of death but the eternal life of the soul. She said this should be comfort to any ninja starting in the field.

Mebuki had been alarmed about her daughter's increasing toughness and what Mebuki herself saw as a morbid fixation with death.

It was time to talk to Mitarashi Anko.

* * *

Yamanaka Inoichi and his wife watched their daughter exhibit increasingly bizarre behavior.

She was dedicated to becoming a strong kunoichi. That was good. That was not the problem.

But with her stiff mother in particular, there were other problems. In her free time, she wore thick jackets, tutus, and platforms. She painted her nails sparkly colors and often went out dancing and began going on long rants about the way women were treated in the world at large. Instead of becoming quieter, she became louder in her bossiness, though certainly more mature, and instead of gaining less friends, she gained more through temple.

She still worked at the shop and did her ninja studies and she didn't understand why her mother was so upset. Her mother, meanwhile, did not understand her.

Yes, it was time to talk to Mitarashi Anko.

* * *

Anko stopped at a dango bar early in the morning for breakfast.

"The usual, Mitarashi?" said the man behind the counter.

"Yeah," Anko moaned, head in her hand, big sigh. "I have to go meet with the parents of my students today. Oh, joy."

"On the house," said the man, setting a cup of her favorite tea down before her.

Anko gazed around herself, faux casual, as she had breakfast. She still wasn't used to the way the village was treating her. People passing by used to move away from her, nervous, and give her cold eyes. This had made Anko act out around others.

But now that she'd successfully managed a team, something different was happening.

People passing by didn't shy away from her anymore. "You see that woman?" they would say. "She's teaching a Haruno, a Yamanaka, and a Hyuuga." Their gazes were positively warm. Anko began acting like her usual more quiet, mature self.

That was why it was vital she not fuck up with these parents and she keep this team. The problem was, Anko had never been very good at acting formal and professional.

* * *

When she climbed the steps of the council building, which was right by the vast outdoor sandstone monument to the previous Hokage, and entered the Hokage's office, the parents were already there. The Hokage's desk was vast, mahogany, and gold gilded, calligraphy scrolls on the walls, with a small side door leading to a private library. The Hokage was a tiny old man in red and white robes with silver goatee and wood-pipe. The whole room smelled of wood-smoke.

The parents varied. Brunette Haruno Mebuki was there in plain civilian clothes. Hyuuga Hiashi was there in formal silver robes, long black hair tied back, posture stiff and dignified. Blonde Yamanaka Inoichi and his stiff brunette wife with tight bun of hair tied back were there as well.

"Anko," said the Hokage. "I am merely here officiating and facilitating. Please have your conversation."

"Okay." Anko revealed nothing, her arms crossed, turning to the parents. "Air your grievances and uncertainties."

Each set of parents in turn talked about their worries for their daughter.

Anko sighed, and in return she made her speech. "I am trying to give the girls an independent sense of self," she said. "I believe this is vital, if they are out in the field, to avoid psychological instability. I am trying to save them, not destroy them. They take from my lessons what they will and do their own things with it.

"What I'm saying is, I never tried to turn Hinata into a radical kind Hyuuga, or Sakura into a passionate girl who finds great comfort in the idea of spiritual death and rebirth, or Ino into a quirky, bossy, confident madcap. They took my lessons and made those leaps on their own.

"Personally, I think that's healthy. I think it's healthy to allow them to grow and go through phases and become adults on their own, rather than trying to force a certain brand of adulthood on them. They are becoming strong girls and I am proud of them. I refuse to redact my choices.

"But I am teaching them important things. Stability is important, and I have also taught them proper spirituality and Buddhism, and how that ties in with the philosophies and tenets of Konoha. Basically, I am doing as ordered, and making them good Konoha ninja. If you continue to allow it, I promise to give them strong fighting abilities and make them very useful to their village."

Mebuki's eyes had filled with tears of pride. Silently, she nodded her assent.

Inoichi and his wife looked at each other. "Perhaps we should let her have her phases," he said. "She _does_ seem to be becoming a very confident young lady."

"... Oh, alright," Mrs Yamanaka grumbled, looking away. "But I don't have to like it."

Hiashi stood there for a long time, staring at Anko. "... She is becoming stronger, more mature, and more spiritual, so I will allow it," he said at last. "I wanted her to be of use to her village if she was not made clan heiress and you seem to be ensuring that.

"But I will be watching carefully, Mitarashi. I can promise it."

"I will not let you down, sir," said Anko formally, bowing.

As she left the office, she smirked. They'd bought it. Somehow, Anko doubted the "phases" the girls were going through were really phases at all.


	7. Chapter 7

7.

"We've gotten you settled off the job. But here is where we get to 'on the job.' In your kunoichi dresses, or your kimono for espionage. Now we begin the different aspects of being a ninja," said Anko, and the girls immediately sat forward in the training field, looking excited. "There are three elements to your training: academic, physical, and kunoichi-specific. Let me talk about the first two to start with.

"Ninja are in modern-day seen as battle warrior types. But this was not how ninja started out, and it's not necessarily how I want you to proceed. Let me explain.

"Ninja started out life doing what whole armies of samurai could not do. We were the covert people, the people who hid and used subtle methods. Our specialties were espionage and assassination. The ninja's guiding philosophy was to choose the dark, quiet, and subtle methods over the bold, active, and forceful. Suggestion, deception, trickery, that was what we did. We were psychological, and we were economical. The goal was to do the most we could do while exposing ourselves to the least amount of danger.

"Honor? No such thing. We are bound by no rules of honor. Ninja are rarely honorable. Get that idea out of your head right now. The honorable way isn't always the best way, and that was where we came in. We were loyal, but not honorable.

"Later, as ninja became soldiers for their countries, in Hidden Village military bases like Konoha, this became somewhat obscured. But the heart of being a shinobi is still dishonorable deception.

"We do whatever it takes to win. That's our motto. And that should be yours as well."

The girls nodded, looking determined and serious.

"So I will teach you the standard ninja arts all shinobi learn: I will give you physical fighting skills, from stealth to taijutsu to weapons to chakra-based techniques. I will also give you academic skills, such as breaking codes and ciphers, a firm knowledge of ninja history, and chakra theory. You will learn the basic layout of any standard Hidden Village. You will learn how to sketch routes and landmarks. All useful shinobi information.

"But another thing I will teach you about is psychology and espionage. And this factors into your kunoichi-based lessons. You will practice your 'innocent civilian woman' act, to be sure, but being a kunoichi is about more than that.

"You see, most of the powerful people in the world are still men, and women are attractive to men. Grown women are attractive to grown men on a sexual level - the men want to have sex with us. We can use that to become attractive seductresses and get the man into bed with us. Then while we're in bed with him, we get as much information as we can, take his money, slit his throat while he's asleep, and run."

The girls' eyes had widened.

"So everything kunoichi-related is to make you more attractive to men. You will learn everything from dancing and music playing, to kimono wearing and neck painting, to graceful arts like tea ceremony and flower arrangement and calligraphy. You will learn about games, flirtation, conversation, how to undress in an attractive way, how to have sex in an attractive way, how to get a man drunk without getting drunk yourself. Your goal is to be as attractive and seductive as possible. I will also teach you how to hide blades in ordinary hair and kimono ornaments, for self-defense or for the murder after the man falls asleep - whichever come first.

"You disguise yourself among men, often in foreign places - which means you also learn about other countries' cultures and foreign policy. You are the concubine, the geisha, the prostitute, the serving maid, the entertainer, the foreign princess. You are the one who gets into bed with the man, and kills him and gets the information needed for your village.

"You use your feminine power. You're in control."

The girls smiled, looking proud and excited to get started.

"Okay," said Anko. "Let's get to it."

* * *

"We start out your physical prowess with a few basic exercises. They're simple, but physically taxing if you do them long enough," said Anko. "You will strike and kick bundles of straw for hours at a time."

Hinata, Ino, and Sakura were each in front of a post tied with bundles of straw. Dripping with sweat out in the hot sun, they hit and kicked and hit and kicked until their hands bled - over and over and over again.

"You will do limberness and flexibility exercises."

" _How am I supposed to stretch my body this far to reach my feet?!"_ Ino wailed. They were all bent over backwards, trying to reach their heels with their hands.

"We're not," said Sakura flatly. "She's secretly trying to kill us."

"Come on, guys," said Hinata. "We can do this!"

"You will run at an incline for long periods of time."

They were all in the gym, running at a very steep incline on treadmills beside each other. This, also, they did at fast speeds for hours at a time, gasping and dripping sweat. Their calves slowly widened.

"You will do balancing exercises."

Ino was balancing, trying to walk across a river atop nothing but a narrow pole.

"Don't fall, don't fall, don't fall, don't fall -" Sakura was saying.

"Sakura, that's so mean!" said Hinata.

"Fuck you, Haruno!" Ino called back over her shoulder. Sakura snickered. Then Ino actually did fall into the water and Sakura laughed outright.

In all seriousness, though, they all fell at first. A _lot_.

"And you will leap over logs and bushes."

Sakura, Hinata, and Ino were all trying to leap over a bush in their training area. Sakura landed in the middle of the bush on her ass. Ino landed in the middle of the bush on her back. Hinata just made it over the bush but skidded on her legs and ass several feet.

Ino groaned.

"GODDAMNIT!" Sakura shouted.

"... Ow," said Hinata.

* * *

"Here are several mathematical diagrams for ikebana - the art of arranging flowers," said Anko, sliding some diagrams across to them.

"We need diagrams for arranging flowers?" said Ino in confusion, as Sakura and Hinata looked over the diagrams curiously.

"Ikebana is not exactly like making a bouquet in your mother's flower shop," said Anko. "It's more like a sculpture or installation art. The flowers have to fit a certain mathematical and diagrametrical pattern. They have to be in a certain shape and a certain distance away from each other, bent at a certain angle, with the distance between the stems making little triangles. The three points of the triangle represent Heaven, Earth, and Man.

"You fit the flower arrangement onto a kind of base to mount it, and there are special techniques, for example, for shaping leaves, flowers, and stems with copper wires, for tearing off and reattaching leaves in certain patterns, for keeping the plant alive for as long as possible.

"Each flower arrangement also has to be beautiful and send a certain feeling or message. Large and small shapes should be artfully arranged so that nothing looks off balance. Also, we say 'flower' arrangement, but you can use any plant, from vines to branches, to make your sculpture.

"Most traditional types of flower arrangement are made so that you have to look at them from the front - stems and flowers are layered over each other, so it's actually rude to look at a traditional flower arrangement from the side. But more modern techniques, such as freestyle or Moribana, which literally means 'a piling up of flowers,' can be looked at any which way, from a 360 degree angle."

And so the girls began. They ruined a lot of plants at first - ruining leaves and petals, breaking stems, picking the wrong kinds of flowers, making sloppy glue jobs. But slowly, as they got better at planning out their arrangements, looking at them from different angles, and doing the techniques carefully, they got better and better at the art of arranging flowers.

Anko also taught them chabana.

"Chabana is taking seasonal flowers and arranging them the way they would be found in nature," said Anko. "Much simpler. The only other rules are that heavily scented plants cannot be used, and that the container should be very beautiful and grand."

So instead of buying the plants and flowers - like for ikebana - they went out to forests and fields and picked groups of seasonal flowers to put together. This was actually a lot of fun. The girls ran around, showing different finds to each other excitedly.

* * *

"Your first academic lesson will be in deciphering and creating ciphers and codes," said Anko. "For these lessons, we will be in my apartment." It was dark-shaded and simple, with a scrubbed wood table they were all sitting at.

Anko plunked textbooks down in front of them.

"First, let's talk about the difference between a cipher and a code. A code is when you use one word to say other words. Konoha ninja have a specific book of code, and that is what you see before you now. You will read and have tests on this entire book. You will also have exercises where you create your own code on the fly, such as how you would in the field, with specific memorization techniques to help you remember your code."

Anko plunked a second set of textbooks down in front of them.

"These are ciphers. Ciphers are actually nothing like codes. There are charts full of various Konoha ciphers in these books. You will use mathematical algorithms to find out which symbols on the cipher mean which other symbols. A could equal F, C could equal N, and D could equal K, for example. So FNK could mean 'and.' But you won't know that until you find the correct key using an algorithm. This is where math comes in.

"You will then move on to making algorithmic charts of your own with their very own special number keys."

The girls stared down at the intimidating books before them.

"So." Anko gave a positively wicked smile. "Let's begin."


	8. Note

Well, the secret is out, I guess. I've been writing different versions of this story under different pen names. I didn't want to tell anyone because I don't need a bunch of people telling me the new version is much worse - I've gotten that reaction before to story rewrites.

But the other two versions of this story, also written by me, are:

The Kunoichi Three by Grimrose Eilwynn

The Kunoichi Diaries by MistressPsyckoBookwormFreak

The Kunoichi Diaries is my latest rewrite. If you like it less, don't bother telling me - I've sort of been expecting that reaction.


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